Lake Tahoe and the High Sierra

Nestled in the rolling hills of Gold Country, Apple Mountain Resort has a dramatic landscape that provides plenty of elevation changes, making it a nearly impossible course to walk. Some of the drops from tee to green are unbelievable, offering unrivaled views of the surrounding mountains. Nearly every hole enjoys a stunning backdrop.

Tahoe City Golf Course dates all the way back to 1917, making it one of the oldest courses in the Tahoe area. The nine-hole course has been host to many well known names over the years, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bob Hope, and Sammy Davis Jr. Despite the course's famous guest list, this underrated gem is still mostly just a secret among the locals.

Tahoe Donner Golf Course was carefully carved from forests of pine with streams and creeks that meander across the layout. Overlooking the Truckee Valley, the course epitomizes the beauty of the High Sierra and the commitment to preserving the environment was recognized with the course's certification as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

The 18-hole Nakoma Golf Resort in Clio, CA is a public golf course that opened in 1998. Designed by Robin Nelson, Nakoma Golf Resort measures 6791 yards from the longest tees and has a slope rating of 139 and a 72 USGA rating. The course features 7 sets of tees for different skill levels.

Destination: Lake Tahoe and the High Sierra

Northern California's High Sierra makes for some of the world's most spectacular natural mountain wonders. It's home to Yosemite National Park, home to mighty waterfalls and marvelous glacial rock formations. To the north, sparkling Lake Tahoe sits at an elevation of over 6,000 feet and provides one of the West's great winter and summer escapes, home to skiing in the winter, and boating, mountain climbing and plenty of golf in the warmer months.

A setting worthy enough for the epic Godfather II and a bigtime celebrity golf tournament each summer, Lake Tahoe has a short golf season compared to the east side of the mountains into Nevada. But when July hits, few spots are better for dry, sunny mountain golf. On the Nevada side just a few drives from the state line, Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course is the only course with lakefront holes. While on the California side towards the casino-free, more laid-back North Shore, there are pockets of golf, including Incline Village and even a historic nine-hole course in Tahoe City.

The 1960 Winter Olympic Games were held just north of Lake Tahoe, but the area has also become a hotbed of new golf course development. Truckee is an old mining town that was discovered back in the 1800s and now has a collection of resort and semi-private mountain courses.

For a vibe even more remote than Truckee, Graeagle in Plumas County remains rustic in most spots, and has more laid back accommodations in lodge and cabin settings, plus a handful of it's own mountain and
valley golf designs - always scenic, always quiet.

Getting to the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe is easily accessible by flying into Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which has direct air service from many carriers to most of the west's larger cities including Seattle and Phoenix. The airport is about a 30 minutes drive from Lake Tahoe's North Shore.

See also

Special Deals

We are sorry but no packages are available right now. Check back later.

Related Articles

Tom Fazio said Martis Camp near Truckee, California is as good as any golf course he's ever designed. While this ultra-exclusive course can certainly be a challenge from the "Medal" tees at nearly 7,800 yards, it really does play to various levels of golfers. Martis Camp is pure fun, even if you hit a wayward shot or two.... full article »

There's no secret that the golf in this area is stellar, with courses like Old Greenwood, Coyote Moon and Gray's Crossing, to name a few. But not to be overlooked is one of the area's oldest courses, Tahoe Donner Golf Course, a challenging championship test of more than 7,000 yards cut through tall pines.... full article »

Lake Tahoe Golf Course may not have the pedigree of its neighbor Edgewood Tahoe, six miles to the north, but it shouldn't be overlooked by anyone making a trip to the South Shore of Lake Tahoe to play golf. Opened in 1962, this William Bell design is nestled in a meadow with plenty of views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.... full article »

Grizzly Ranch Golf Club, located near Graeagle in Portola, originally opened in 2005 as a private club with real estate but now offers public, promotional play on this Bob Cupp design. The course is set at an altitude of 5,200 feet (much lower than the courses of Lake Tahoe, which yields a longer golf season). The design comes with four sets of tees -- playing more than 7,400 yards from the championship tees -- but there are plenty of birdie opportunities.... full article »

The Dragon at Nakoma Golf Resort is back, a little tamer, but still one of the best plays in the High Sierra. After some extensive renovations to the golf course to make it easier, The Dragon is reopened and sporting an easier look. Fairways are wider, sand traps have been removed and certain greens have been entirely rebuilt.... full article »

The Golf Club at Gray's Crossing is one of several new courses in Truckee that is part of a luxury residential development. Sitting amid beautiful mountain terrain with long views and dense forest, the club originally opened as a private facility in 2007 but now accepts public tee times.... full article »

Plumas Pines Golf Resort is an 18-hole championship golf course in remote Graeagle. It opened in 1980 and was designed by Homer Flynt. The golf course is short at just over 6,400 yards with three sets of tees, but defends itself with some very narrow holes and sharp doglegs, as well as some other design quirks.... full article »

Scenic, remote and fun-to-play golf courses offering a few birdie chances define destination golf travel for a lot of folks. And few do it better than Whitehawk Ranch Golf Club in Clio. Part of a small residential community built on former ranch land, its ever-changing surroundings hold the key to a golf experience that is arguably better than anything you'll find nearby, Brandon Tucker writes.... full article »

Check-in is going regularly enough. Then the guy behind the counter hands you a garage-door opener. Welcome to the high life, to a world where people buy a share in a sparkling golf-resort home instead of renting a room. Welcome to Old Greenwood resort.... full article »

Ornery Jack is nowhere to be found at Old Greenwood Golf Course. The Majors collector accused of designing golf courses for tour pros is not slapping any 15-handicappers here. This Nicklaus fusses over his guests like the most charming of dinner-party hosts.
... full article »